Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday
by VocalRaynbow
Summary: A collection of drabbles that center around Rin and her various late loves. Made for the Kagamine's 4th anniversary of release.
1. Teto

Blood dribbled down like sweet wine. She held the girl with such ginger, such _gentle_ hands. She was an angel, a red angel. To hurt her would be a "sin", if you believed in that sort of thing. Rin simply grinned.

_knife hidden in the back_

_**run run**_

Teto was so cute, so perfectly a_dor_able, with that bouncy magenta hair and those rosy cheeks. Skin pure like porcelain and smooth as it too. Rin had explored it, every centimeter. She knew that Teto wouldn't mind, pure and delicate as she was.

_delightful ignorance_

Perfectly sculpted features. Each fit her own hand, her own lips. Almost as if this girl was crafted just for her. Almost as if there was no other in the world that fit her, that _matched_ her just as this.

_surely_

What if, though, Teto fell into another's arms? The idea was simply revolting. Another person, _touching _and _molding _and _changing_ something that was, of course, hers. Teto belonged to her. Teto was made for her. So, if another person stole it... That simply could not happen. She would make sure of that.

_drowned in pleasure_

Rin held the angel with such careful fingers, afraid to scratch the porcelain. Had she hurt this darling thing herself, it would have been a smart choice. There were no signs of struggle anywhere on the body. Not that she would harm her sweet, her _precious_. No, no, certainly not. It was just... being careful. You can never be too careful. And she wouldn't want to taint such purity, such beauty anyway. It would be wrong.

_kissing in the rain_

Rin kissed those strawberry ripe lips, and tasted metal. Tasted that hot, steely flavor. The red liquid stained her own lips. She licked them, eager to taste more, more. So horrible, yet so delicious. She felt the girl, nearly limp in her gentle arms. Her breathing was very slight and sweet. Fitting for such a pure, perfect doll. She was clothed in lace and fluffy things, a ribbon in her hair. Her hands were gloved, so as not to expose them to the dreadful world outside. She was locked in, enclosed, and only Rin had the key.

Though, she hushed such thoughts. She only had but a few moments left.

Teto slurred Rin's name, nearly choking on the warm, steely liquid. She stirred a bit, eyes lidded sleepily and slightly blurred. She seemed to be off in a world somewhere else, somewhere far, far away. Maybe it was pretty there. Maybe it fit a doll as pure as Teto. For the time being, though, she lay there, right there in Rin's protecting arms.

_hush now_

Rin smiled at Teto. "You're a fool, my dear."

And the angel fell back into heaven.


	2. Meiko

She had such perfect hands.

Rin would stare at them all day. Just the way the fingers bent oh, so delicately. Just the gentle curve of the wrist. It wasn't strange of her. They were just so amazing and flawless. Other people were silly for not noticing such jewels. They focused on her personality or her clothing. How trivial.

And there she went by again. Hands swinging loosely, yet so gracefully. How did she accomplish such a thing? How was such perfection possible?

"Meiko!"

The woman sped up her pace, and Rin was disappointed to see the hands go. She hated those moments when she couldn't see them. It was so _annoying_. If only she could just take the hands. Take them and treasure them. She didn't much care for the woman, but her _hands._

Perhaps she _could_ just "take them". A smile spread across Rin's face. One delighted, like a child peeking into their Halloween basket. She simply couldn't wait to have those hands, those _jewels_. All to herself, yes...

"Oh, hello Rin. How's work going?"

She simply edged closer to the woman. Such a trusting fool. Rin felt as if she were going to kill an elephant for its beautiful ivory. Would she "kill" this woman, though? Was there really a point to offing her? Couldn't she just _take_ the hands and go?

But what if the woman told?

Rin lured her into the coat closet, closing the door. The air was heavy, and the space was cramped. Rin found the mood delicious.

"A-ah, what are you..."

She could hear Meiko's heartbeat, tattooing against her chest. Her smile only grew wider, though she knew the woman could not see. She drew out a roll of tape.

"What's...Rin, I─ Mmph!"

The beast fought in its bindings. Rin was patient, however. She tucked away the tape and drew out her knife, slowly. She didn't want to frighten it even more.

"Mmm!"

"Shhh," she said softly, stroking its head. "It'll only hurt a bit. I promise." That seemed to only agitate it more, sadly. Ah, well. Everyone was out on lunch break, so it wasn't as if anyone would hear. The knife gleamed gently in the dark.

Slicing away, gingerly. Careful not to damage the hand itself. Only the arm, yes. Rin was careful not to get any blood on her clothing.

"MMMMM─"

The hand came off. It felt so delicate in her own, like a little bird. But this bird could not fly, so she would need to nurture it herself. Rin wiped off the blood with some tissues and stuffed it in her bag. Only one more to go.

She readied her knife once again.


	3. Miku

"My little songbird..."

The girl stood atop the stage, chirping such a sweet melody. Her cheeks were rosy with the happiness of the moment, her body swayed with the rhythm. The words were meaningless, of course. No one cared what she was singing _about_, but rather, the fact that she was singing at all. Her voice was simply so lovely. There was also the fact that she had recovered from an often fatal disease with little hindrances. She seemed perfectly fine. And, perfectly happy to be singing again.

Rin smiled a cat's smile, gazing upward. That was what the public knew, anyhow. They swallowed that up and vomited it back up to any silly bystander who might listen. The miraculous tale of the girl who survived a horrible disease to continue the thing she loved most. It sounded like one of those tragic yet inspiring movies you find on women-aimed channels.

The truth was a bit more interesting than that.

The girl had died, simply. She was doing quite well for someone in her situation, but of course the odds of her surviving were so small. It was only natural that she fall into that grand majority. She was given a funeral, but a private one. No one who wasn't immediately close to her was allowed to know of it. Rin, of course, had been close to that family since she was small. She had known the Hatsunes since preschool, where she had been in the same class as their two daughters.

You see, their beloved Miku had a twin.

The two were technically identical, and looked the part too. And when one contracted a disease, so did the other. They were perfectly synchronized, save for one detail. One was destined to live. The public, of course, did not know of this twin's existence. When a teal haired, bright smiling girl, with the last name Hatsune, walked out of the hospital, they pounced on it. She could sing nearly as well as her sister, of course, so it wasn't completely off the mark.

Rin, naturally, could tell the difference.

The show finished and the crowd cheered. It had been very well done. Obviously she had been working hard to match her sister. Instead of exiting with the mass of people, however, Rin advanced toward the stage, slipping through to the back. She wished to have a word with Miss Hatsune.

She pushed the creaky door open, entering the dressing room of the pretty bird. There was a rack of clothing, all colorful and fitted exactly. To the right was a vanity, covered in various makeups. To the right of that was a chair, upon which sat a lovely looking girl who wept quietly.

Rin stepped forward with cat's feet, prowling silently. She set her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Oh gosh Rin, I... I try so hard to be like her. But she's gone. Gone!" The twin sobbed harder. "It's like a disgrace to her. I'm imitating a dead person, and they're just eating it up." Rin bent her knees to look into the poor bird's face, and found a red, blotched mess with makeup streaming down.

"You're doing so well, though. The public loves you. Isn't that what you always wanted?" she pointed out.

The bird looked up. "They love _her_, not me! They don't even know my name." Her perfect violet eyes blinked. It was the one different between her and her late sister, whose eyes were closer to turquoise. They were rimmed with gorgeous eyelashes, fanning out elegantly. Her cheeks, though, were miserably streaky. Rin reached out to touch her, and found them warm and wet. The bird's rosebud lips shuddered.

"Plenty of people have been famous under fake identities. Isn't this just another one of those cases? They've switched your names legally, and you're exactly the same otherwise. No one knows the difference."

"You don't understand!" The bird swatted her hand away and stood, looking desperate and frustrated. "No one seems to get it. Maybe it's because we were sisters, but this just feels so _disgusting_ to me. I know she would have wanted to be here, singing her heart away. I can just see her now. Why did _I_ have to live, and not her? What's the _point_?" She snatched her casual clothes from atop a dresser and began to pull off her top. She paused.

"I mean, even _you _always liked her better. Why not? She was perfect, in every possible way."

The little bird turned and dropped the clothes, sniffling. She nestled into Rin wearing jeans and a bra, obviously not caring about modesty at this point. Rin gazed down at her, not being able to answer. Because it was true? Maybe. Miku was such a lovely girl. Cheerful and kind and beautiful in every way. Why shouldn't she have preferred her over her emotional, crybaby sister?

Even so...

Rin held the delicate bird with such gentle arms. She could feel the girl's perfect form pressed against her, and the dampness from her tears. Even so, she still loved her. Maybe differently from her flawless gem of a sister, but a diamond in the rough is still a diamond. Rin could appreciate that much.

"Shhh. Calm, now."

"I...**can't**. I can't calm down. It's..." She only wept more, holding tighter.

"You'll never be her. You're beautiful in your own way, though. They can't see that, but I can."

The bird looked up, pink faced. She didn't seem to have any words. If she did, they didn't come out. Her lilac eyes just blinked, wide and curious. Rin decided to continue. "The public? They don't know you. They know and love her, in their own plastic and superficial way. They don't matter. She never cared much for them either, you know? She called them ants."

Her little bird laughed, softly, and she was glad. "It's true! Ants, that she would have liked to step on and rid of, but of which there were simply too many. It was fruitless to even consider. So she aimed to please each and every one of them, so they wouldn't drag her under. Your sister was crafty, but you know that." Rin pulled up a chair, and she and the girl sat down.

"She thought you were perfect, you know? She used to tell you it, but you never listened. She would tell me all about it. Remember the time we did that karaoke session and the rude guy came along, and you told him off? She loved that. She would always talk to me about you, later. You were so charming and funny, and so clumsily honest about your feelings. To her, you were perfection. Beauty isn't just about looks, you know.

"You've tried so hard the last couple of months. I know it's dreadful work, but it makes _them_ happy. And it gets food on the table. (At this, the little bird looked down, smiling.) You're the bravest person I know, and I admire you immensely for being able to do this at all. (Tears. Perhaps she had said something wrong?) Your sister _would_ be proud. You keep pushing on, even though it's just horrible, and look. Look around you. You've achieved success. I know it's not the kind you wanted, but _you're _on magazine covers everywhere. Little girls want to be like_ you_. People are writing music for _you_ to sing. Isn't this the next best thing? It's your voice, your face they know now. Not hers."

The little bird breathed, hands folded. Tears were streaming down her face. "Now you've made me feel guilty," she said, in that lovely voice of hers.

"And why is that?"

She looked up. "Because I'm to die any moment now."

Rin's heart seemed to stop, for a moment.

"Die".

What?

"I took these things before you came in, and I've begun to feel stranger by the moment. I expect I'll be dead by 8:02 this evening."

Rin glanced at the clock. It read 8:01.

The poor little bird climbed into her arms and lay there, fragile and helpless. Violet eyes blinking with the seconds, round and curious as ever. Rin wished the second hand not to move. For time to stop and let the bird lay in her arms forever, heart beating.

But the universe, as you know, is quite cruel.

In fact, time seemed to pass more quickly than normally. She counted every breath, every heartbeat. Every moment she had left with this girl.

Click.

And the songbird lay dead in her arms.


	4. Luka

Luka Megurine.

She was such a gorgeous person, so very lovely. Rin always gazed at her with fondness, always spoke to her with cordiality. Each and every word dripping with unmasked affection.

And you know what she gave, in return?

Short, biting words. Like an autumn wind, slapping each cheek red. She never met Rin's eyes, never bent to converse with her like an equal. Because Rin was "little" and she was "older". Therefore, why should she give the silly, naive girl the light of day?

"Good afternoon, Kagamine."

Everything she did, she wore that heart out. She held it out and put a bow on it, and her beloved simply walked away.

"Is there something wrong?"

Everything she did... Everything she said...

"What's that?"

**Everything**

"Kagamine, _is there something wrong_? What are you..."

It just rebound and was flung right back to her. Like some kind of stupid boomerang. She was sick and tired of getting hit with the same crap, over and over again. Wasn't that the definition of madness? Doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting something different?

"Dear god, Kagamine, get that knife away from me!"

Madness. Heh. Hehehehe.

The air was ripe with screams, raw with the metallic stench of blood.

Hehehehehehehehe...


	5. Gumi

It was yet another winter day. Snow fell slowly from the looming clouds above, covering the ground in a kind of pure, white blanket. No animals could be seen amongst the white and gray and black, spindly trees. It was so still, so quiet, that Rin supposed the land was asleep. That it was slumbering away, waiting for the warmth to come, waiting for spring. That would make two things that Rin loved that were sleeping, then.

She heard a soft rustle, subtle breathing, beside her. Gumi was stirring in her sleep. Not waking, but drifting. Drifting away into yet another dream, into yet another illusion. Rin wondered briefly if Gumi even remembered her name, if Gumi even remembered who she was anymore. She had been sleeping for so long, waiting for so long. A month, was it? At first, it had been in and out. She would rouse for a moment, and then fall back into dreamland. The tubes and things pumped liquids into and from her body. In and out. In and out. In, and out...

What was she dreaming about? Were there pretty birds in paradise? Blue skies and cool, fresh water? Was it lovely there, like the fairy tales and storybooks always said it would be? Was she happy in such a world? Rin missed Gumi, missed her so much. They had been such good friends, such perfect friends, before the girl had fallen asleep. Ever since, Rin had stayed by her side whenever so allowed. When she wasn't, she would write stories to tell to Gumi when she finally woke up. Would draw pictures and weave songs. When Gumi finally woke up, she would make sure that the girl was happy in such an imperfect, flawed world.

The two had been friends for so long. Since they were in preschool, probably. Rin couldn't even remember anymore. They had been through thick and thin together, and of _course_ it wasn't going to end like that. Wasn't going to just slip out of her fingertips. Surely! Gumi's end wouldn't be so anticlimactic, so out-of-the-blue. She would definitely wake up, one day, and Rin would be right there when she did. Even if it was just for the briefest of moments. Because Gumi was her best friend. She cared about her more than anything or anyone else. That was just the way it was. They were inseparable, like sisters.

Rin crouched by the bed, careful not to disturb her dear friend. The girl's chest rose and fell so very slowly. Hands limp by her sides. She reached out and touched one, held it in her own. It was cooler than she remembered it being, and more delicate. Like a little bird, buried under the ice and snow of winter. Afraid to fly lest it move wrongly and suffocate. But, of course, hands can't breathe.

And, in that moment, neither could Gumi.


	6. Miki

It was quiet.

The wind was brisk and chilled, whipping whatever it could briefly grasp wildly about. The gray, spindly trees seemed so fragile as to break with the slightest of touches. They winded this way and that, curving and twisting and wavering, shuddering _just so slightly_. The sky was black. Not a star shone, not the slightest ripple of a cloud could be seen. The ground was bare, frosted asphalt. Leaves were scattered here and there.

She was going to die.

Rin looked up, blond hair shifting stiffly. Her scarf was old, encrusted with dirt. Her ratty old coat was stained. Her jeans (could you even call them such anymore?) were ripped and ragged.

"Such is life."

The words rolled and dripped off of her tongue like honey. Viscous and sweet, yet oh so bitter. Her ripened lips curved into a delicate smile.

"Yes, such is life."

There was nothing in her stomach. There hadn't been anything for weeks, perhaps. She hadn't bothered counting. It hurt, a constant, dull ache, but she had grown almost used to it. Hunger. It had become a fact of life, after _she_ had died.

Perhaps Rin would get to join her once again?

It had been a bitter winter night. Rather like the one she stood in, but longer ago. Back then, her clothes were freshly washed and nice. Her hair was thick and full. Her eyes were bright and wide, so her love said. That was back before Miki died.

Funny, how quickly a car can be when you're not paying attention? How suddenly death can come knocking at your door?

It had stolen away her love, had enveloped her in blankets and stolen her away into the night. And Rin had never been the same. She beckoned death closer, tempted it to her, time and time again, so that she could once again glimpse (and perhaps reach out and _touch_) her beloved.

So, yes, it was only a matter of time.

And she so wished it wouldn't be too long.


	7. Iroha

Her darling just loved cats.

The first day they went out together after her love had moved in, she had begged to get one. They walked to the pet store, hands linked, and picked up a kitten. A little calico with a pink nose. Iroha just adored that little thing, naming it Milkpuff for whatever reason. Of course, if Iroha loved it, then naturally Rin should too.

The years went by and the kitten grew into a cat, and then older still. It turned out to be such a healthy and beautiful adult. Iroha loved Milkpuff, too. She would play with it, read with it lying on her lap. While Rin would go out for her jogs, her love was inside with the cat.

She wasn't sure how to feel, at first. It was quite silly of her to be jealous of a cat, of all things. It was an animal. A pet. Surely it didn't matter if her love spent some time with it? Even so, Rin found herself hating it more as time passed. When Iroha called them in for dinner on the nights she made it, she would always call in Milkpuff first. Never mind that she filled up its bowl before setting the table. And she would always act cold when Rin sat by her while she was reading, but when Milkpuff leapt onto her lap, she greeted it with warmth and affection, stroking its white, brown, and orange dappled coat.

Enough was enough.

Her father had given her a gun for her birthday once. For protection, he had said. She kept it under lock in her dresser. Reasoning that she _was_ sort of protecting herself from the stupid feline, Rin grabbed it and stepped into the living room. Iroha sat there with her book, Milkpuff purring on her lap. "Get over here, you stupid cat," she snarled, lifting her weapon. Iroha seemed to freeze in her spot.

And then she stood in front of Milkpuff.

"Hurt him," she breathed, "and you hurt me too." She was so beautiful, so lovely in that moment. Hair swinging loosely from the bun she had pinned it in, eyes bright and wide. She looked almost like she did when Rin first confessed to her, all those years ago. She didn't want to kill Iroha. She wanted the girl to love her, to care for her like always. But she did want that cat with its horrible smirk gone.

_bang_

And her darling fell down dead.


	8. Yuki

It was a warm summer evening. The sky was a glorious gold, and she grinned up at it. Perhaps it was some nameless god, setting the stage. Dimming the lights. Yelling a delightful, "Action!". Rin breathed in the air, milky and warm like bathwater. Yes, tonight was the night. Tonight...

She would make that girl hers.

Each stride made her feel like some movie star, each blink of her blue eyes was the snap of a powerful camera, as each colorful photograph filled her mind with blinding color and rich scenery. Her scarlet dress flowed like water about her knees. Like blood, hah. Like the sweetest, purest red.

And there, there she was. Innocently searching, chocolate eyes darting about. Her knees, knobby and childish, poked out from beneath her adorable little dress. Her cheeks were pink and lightly freckled, her mouth rounded into an "o", surrounded by rosebud lips. This girl was so perfect, so delightfully _perfect_ in every way.

Rin silently crept closer.

They would always tell her to be a normal girl. To giggle over boys and go on those typical, trendy websites. She would nod along, not really listening. Because she giggled over the girls in those cutesy meant-for-men shows and the adorable underclassmen. Because the only websites she visited were the shops that sold merchandise like body pillows, and the art sites. She would always go straight for the loli content.

"H-huhn?"

Fuck them and their stupid standards. Their sense of "normalcy" and what a girl "should be". Why should they care? It wasn't their life, was it? Who was "them", anyway? Her parents? Her peers? Society?

"Umm, hello. I-it's nice to meet you..."

Yuki was different. She thought the girls she saw on those shows, on those websites were cute, but Yuki was just _different_. She had this whole atmosphere to her that Rin loved, that Rin just drank up like it was wine. She knew she shouldn't enjoy it so much, but it was just so _delicious_. The girl's creamy brown eyes and her steady, mature gaze. She seemed so much older than nine.

"Ah-! Wh-wh-what are you doing?"

She held the girl, smiling down at her. Such a lovely person. Rin wondered if Yuki was normal, if she had no problem conforming to the standards of everyday life. She lay so delicate in her arms, squirming and fighting. Gorgeous eyes clouded with tears. They slopped down her reddened cheeks and she reached to smear them. Rin grabbed her hand. "Quiet, now."

"Wh-wh-wh..."

She hushed the girl once more, gently wiping her tears away with her free hand. Maybe they could be together. Maybe...

_she would just have to** kill** her love to do it._

~The petals that bloomed in days past are valiant, as if being scattered into the darkness. The girl's voice whispers, "Let's return to Elysion..."


	9. Lily

There was a woman who lived down the street. The sentence seems normal enough, no? Almost boringly so. Yes, obviously there are people that live down your street. It's not like they make suburban roads with only one home on them, unless you're some sort of rich person and your yard is too big to allow for other properties. Which Rin, for the record, wasn't. She wasn't badly off, granted, but she was far from rich. So what could possibly be special about the woman down the street?

Well, for starters, two houses down, the road ended in a thick, tangled forest. Tangled and gnarled like someone's knotty hair, and just as frightening. That is, not at all. The woman's house was _inside_ the forest, for some reason. According to neighborhood legend, she was some sort of recluse and, when forced to interact with other people, was grumpy and ill-mannered. The children had convinced themselves that she was a horrible cannibal. This was obviously false, but was troubling to Rin regardless.

It just so happened that one day, while playing in the yard, a letter from her uncle slipped out her pocket and was carried by the wind. This was terrible, of course. She loved her uncle and missed him dearly. Rin reached and groped for the letter as it flitted away, but to no avail; it swooped into the forest, right toward the woman's house. She gulped.

One had to tread carefully when in the forest, lest they rouse the rather hostile birds and insects that dwelled within. She stepped on feet soft as a cats, face screwing up with worry. She didn't want to meet any strange people. Her parents were always warning her to never talk to strangers, and she trusted them. Hopefully, she could just get the letter and leave.

She continued to walk, deeper and deeper into the snarl of trees and brush. Rin could see a cabin ahead, door carelessly ajar. Was that where the woman lived? Would she have to face her, just to get the letter? It lay on the doorstep. Perhaps she had read it? Oh, dear. That would be...

Rin eagerly sped up her pace. Dead leaves cracked under her sneakers, but she didn't much care about subtlety anymore. She wanted her letter! All of a sudden, Rin stopped. Halted, leaves and dust flying in her wake. Her blue eyes were wide, and she understood.

Just behind the door, there was a full body mirror. Written on the top was the woman's name.


End file.
